Paper feeding device



PAPER FEEDING DEVICE Filed May 21 United States Patent O PAPER FEEDINGDEVICE Milton V. Scozzafava, Arcadia, and Richard E Busch, La Puente,Calif., assignors to Clary Corporation, San Gabriel, Califl, acorporation of California Application May 21, 1957, Serial No. 660,549

3 Claims. (Cl. 271-2.1)

This invention relates to paper feeding devices for printing machinessuch as adding-listing machines, cash registers, accounting machines,etc., and has particular reference to feeding devices utilizing pinwheels to positively drive the paper through the machine.

In the above type of feeding devices, the paper generally has a row orrows of perforations along its length in which pins of the pin wheelengage to positively drive the paper.

Such machines generally feed the paper satisfactorily. However, troublehas been encountered in threading new lengths of paper onto the pinwheel so as to initially register the first perforation with a drivepin. This problem is aggravated if the point of insertion of the leadingedge of the paper is remote from the pin wheel itself and mustbesuitably guided thereto. I

Although threading under the above conditions may be accomplished byproviding a usual narrow paper guiding trough or guide-way leading fromthe point of entrance to the pin wheel, a constant endwise pressure mustbe applied to the paper to cause its leading edge to follow one of thepins as the pin wheel is rotated so that a succeeding pin will properlyfit in one of the perforations to establish driving relation. Since thepaper is relatively weak in compression, it is very difficult to developa sensitive feel whereby to apply the proper endwise pressure to causethe leading edge to properly follow one of the drive pins. Too muchpressure tends to cause the paper to buckle in the guideway whereupon itmay jam and thus not feed. Conversely, too little pressure will notcause the leading edge to follow a drive pin and thus the next drive pinwill not properly register with a following perforation.

It therefore becomes a principal object of the present invention tothread the leading edge of a length of perforated paper onto the surfaceof a pin wheel, especially when threaded from a point remote from thepin wheel.

The foregoing object is accomplished by providing a paper guiding troughof a particular shape through which the paper is threaded onto the pinwheel. One wall of the trough is substantially flat. The other wallprovides a generally concave paper guiding surface, the two wallsterminating in a relatively narrow throat adjacent the pin wheel forguiding the leadingiedge of the paper tangentially onto the pin wheel.When the paper is fed endwise through the throat, the leading edgethereof engages the first pin on the pin wheel. Then, as the paper isfurther pressed inward, it buckles or bubbles, taking the general shapeof the concave contour. of the second Z,879,993 Patented Mar. 31, 1959ice successive perforation in the paper, even though the paper is heldstationary at the point of insertion.

. conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

' The paper, upon emerging from the container 21, passes Fig. 1 is asectional view through a paper feeding mechanism embodied in a businessmachine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. I, but with partsbroken away, illustrating the initial stages of a paper threadingoperation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Referring to the drawing, the machine embodying the present inventioncomprises spaced side frames, one of which is shown at 11. To the latterare suitably attached auxiliary side frames, one of which is shown at12. A cross brace 13 is attached at opposite ends thereof to the frames11 and 12 to maintain them in proper spacial relation.

A platen 14 extends between the side frames 12 and is provided with ashaft 15 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings formed in the frames 12.A pin wheel 16 of the same diameter as the platen and having a pluralityof drive pins 17 thereon is suitably attached to one end of the platen.

A means (not shown) is provided to either automatically or manuallyadvance the platen so as to advance the paper thereover into properrelationship with a printing mechanism (also not shown). For details ofthe manual and automatic platen advancing mechanism, referonce may behad to the copending patent application of Scozzafava and Busch, SerialNo. 648,354, filed on March 25, 1957, for Platen Line Spacing Mechanism,now Patent No. 2,843,245.

A paper strip 18 having a row of pin driven perforations 20 along oneside thereof (as shown in Fig. 3), is furnished in fanfold or accordionshaped form, several such folds being shown in Fig. 1.

The fanfold paper is mounted in a removable container 21 having frontand back Walls 22 and 23, respectively, side walls 19, and a bottom wall24. The forward wall 23 extends only part way, leaving an opening topermit the paper to be withdrawn forwardly from the interior of thecontainer either beneath a curved lower edge 23a of the wall 23 or overa roller 25 extending between the side walls of the container.

The paper thereafter passes under a second roller 26 and then extendsaround the combined platen and pin wheel and emerges through a narrowchute comprising two closely spaced parallel guide walls 27 and 28. The

upper wall 27 is curved downwardly around a substan-' tial portion ofthe periphery of the platen and pin wheel,

but is spaced therefrom sufliciently to allow the paper to pass freelythereunder.

hook 3.0, engageable with studs 31 attached to the side.

frames 12.

into a point of entrance 32 formed partly by the roller 26 and thenextends through a peculiarly shaped threading, guide chute before movingover-the pin wheel and platen.

The threading chute comprises a substantially fiat wall 33 and agenerally curved second wall 34, the latter being provided at itsforward edge with a slot 34a to permit passage of the pins 17.

The wall 33 rests at its upper end on a cross rod 35 extending betweenthe side frames 12. A slot 36 is A slot is provided in the wall, throughwhich the drive pins 17 pass.

formed in the forward edge 37 of the wall 33, and the portion removed toform the slot is bent to underlie the rod 35. The lower end of the wallmember 33 is bent to fit over the lateral cross brace 13.

i The walls 33 and 34 are suitably'attached to side plates, one of whichis shown at 38, which in turn are suitably attached to the side frames12 to edge guide the paper strip as it passes through the threadingchute.

The upper wall 34 is shaped to form a generally concave paper guidingsurface which converges at its upper end with the wall 33 to form anarrow throat 40 extending substantially tangentially toward theperiphery of the pin wheel 16 so as to guide the leading edge of thepaper thereon. The lower end of the wall member 34 terminates directlyadjacent the roller 26.

In threading the paper, the container 21 is removed by unhooking thesame from the studs 31. The leading edge of the paper is then passedthrough the opening or mouth 32 and into the threading chute. Since thepaper tends to maintain a relatively straight endwise shape, it may beforced through the chute from a point outside the opening 32, permittingthe walls 33 and 34 to generally guide the leading edge through thethroat 40 and into engagement with a pin of the pin wheel positionedadjacent the throat. Further inward pressure against the paper causes itto bow as it assumes substantially the form shown in Fig. 2. It will beseen that the shape of the wall 34 is such that the paper may bow to alimited extent only and will not tend to buckle back upon itself andthereby lose its endwise stiffness. Also, when completely bowed, thepaper will form a smooth curve wherein the leading edge portion extendssubstantially tangentially therefrom and through the throat 40.

When so inserted, the outer portion of the paper may be held stationarywhile the leading edge thereof exerts a light endwise pressure againstthe nearest drive pin due to its inherent resiliency. The paper thustends to staighten out even though it has not been inserted so far as tocompletely bow into the position shown in Fig. 2. Accordingly, when theplaten and pin wheel are rotated clockwise, the leading edge of thepaper will follow the engaged drive pin until the next pin engages inthe next perforation whereupon a positive driving relation isestablished. The container is then replaced, permitting the paper tofollow the path shown in Fig. l.

The leading edge 41 of the paper is preferably formed, as shown in Fig.3, with a partial pin perforation 42 regularly spaced from the firstwhole perforation a and arranged to engage the surface of the nearestdrive pin 17 extending from the pin wheel.

Although we have described our invention in detail in its preferred formand have therefore utilized certain specific terms and languages herein,it is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrativerather than restrictive and that changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the claims appendedhereto. For example, the wall member 33 may be formed to present aslightly convex paper guiding surface to assist in causing the paperwithin the threading chute to assume its bowed shape.

Having thus described the invention, what we desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patent is:

1. A paper feeding device for a printing machine or the like in which apaper having regularly spaced pin holes therealong is fed by a pin wheelengageable in said holes, comprising first and second spaced wallsforming a threading chute, said walls terminating in a guide throatextending adjacent the periphery of said pin wheel, said walls formingan entrance mouth at a point remote from said throat, said second wallpresenting a generally concave paper guiding surface terminating in aportion extending substantially tangent to the periphery of said pinwheel, said walls being effective to guide said paper into an endwisebowed shape when forced into said chute whereby said paper will tend tostraighten out and thereby exert a yielding force to maintain itsleading edge against a pin on said pin wheel during rotation of said pinwheel, said first wall presenting a guiding surface effective to preventsaid paper from bowing away from said second wall, the length of saidconcave paper guiding surface approaching a distance equal to thestraight line distance between said mouth and said throat plus thespacing between adjacent ones of the pins on said pin wheel.

2. A paper threading device for a printing machine or the like in whicha paper having regularly spaced pin holes therealong is fed by a pinwheel engageable in said holes, comprising first and second spaced wallsforming a threading chute, said walls terminating adjacent said pinwheel in a guide throat, said walls forming an entrance mouth at a pointremote from said pin wheel, said first wall presenting a paper guidingsurface located substantially in a fiat plane, said second wallterminating adjacent said pin wheel in a portion extending substantiallytangent to the periphery of said pin wheel and said second wallpresenting a substantially concave paper guiding surface effective toguide said paper into an endwise bowed shape when forced into said chutewhereby said paper will tend to straighten out and thereby exert ayieldable force to maintain its leading edge against a pin on said pinwheel during rotation of said pin wheel, the length of said concavepaper guiding surface approaching a distance equal to the straight linedistance between said mouth and said throat plus the spacing betweenadjacent ones of the pins on said pin wheel.

3. In a paper threading device for a printing machine or the like inwhich a paper having regularly spaced pin holes therealong is fed by apin wheel engageable in said holes, comprising first and second spacedwalls forming a threading chute, said walls forming an entrance mouth ata point remote from said pin wheel, said first wall terminating adjacentsaid pin wheel and presenting a paper guiding surface locatedsubstantially in a flat plane, said second wall terminating adjacentsaid pin wheel and presenting a substantially concave paper guidingsurface effective to guide said paper into an endwise bowed shape whenforced into said chute whereby said paper will tend to straighten outand thereby exert a yielding force to maintain its leading edge againsta pin on said pin wheel during rotation of said pin wheel, the portionof said second wall which terminates adjacent said pin wheel extendingsubstantially tangent to the periphery of said pin wheel, the length ofsaid concave paper guiding surface approaching a distance equal to thestraight line distance between said mouth and said end of said secondwall adjacent said pin wheel plus the splaciiig between adjacent ones ofthe pins on said pin w ee References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,882,014 Howell Oct. 11, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS893,981 France Mar. 6, 1944

